Sports
Coco Gauff saves 3 match points to reach Dubai quarters
Aug 10, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Coco Gauff (USA) reacts after returning a shot against Wang Xinyu (CHN) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images No. 3 seed Coco Gauff fought off three match points and advanced to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships quarterfinals with a 2-6, 7-6 (9), 6-3 victory over Belgium’s Elise Mertens on Wednesday.
Gauff overcame 16 double faults and completed the comeback in two hours and 18 minutes to improve to 5-0 against Mertens, who had match points in the second-set tiebreak at 6-5, 7-6 and 9-8.
“The whole match felt like it wasn’t going my way,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “It wasn’t the best, but I just tried to stay in it, and I did fight for every point. I’m happy I was able to get the result today.
“Elise is a great player, so I just had to stay settled. I knew I could win; it was just (a matter) if I could find my game. And I did a little bit at times, and sometimes I didn’t, but it’s OK.”
Gauff converted seven of 10 break points to set up a quarterfinal meeting with the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, who defeated Sorana Cirstea of Romania 7-5, 6-4.
Top-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan was trailing 7-5, 4-6, 0-1 against Croatian lucky loser Antonia Ruzic when she retired from the third-round match due to gastrointestinal issues.
Ruzic advanced to face No. 7 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, who rallied for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory against No. 9 seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.
No. 2 seed Amanda Anisimova needed only 70 minutes to complete a 6-1, 6-3 win over Indonesia’s Janice Tjen. She will meet fifth-seeded Russian Mirra Andreeva, a 7-5, 6-3 winner against Romania’s Jacqueline Cristian.
No. 4 Jessica Pegula defeated fellow American and No. 16 seed Iva Jovic 6-4, 6-2 in 77 minutes. Pegula struck five aces and saved the only break point she faced against the player she called her “mini-me” before the match.
“I think it’s going to be a tough match for me. Iva, we’ve never played, but I feel like she kind of plays like a mini-me, so it’s going to be tough,” Pegula said Tuesday. “(Iva’s) going to have nothing to lose, and she’s been really hot, beating and winning a lot of matches this year.”
Up next for Pegula is No. 12 seed Clara Tauson of Denmark, who won 19 of the 21 points on her first serve in a 6-4, 6-2 victory against Poland’s Magda Linette.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Canada captain Sidney Crosby not ruled out for Olympic return
Feb 18, 2026; Milan, Italy; Sidney Crosby of Canada walks out to the ice before a men’s ice hockey quarterfinal during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Veteran captain Sidney Crosby has not been ruled out for the remainder of the Milan Cortina Olympics, Team Canada coach Jon Cooper told reporters on Thursday.
Crosby, 38, sustained an apparent right leg injury in the second period of Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime win over Czechia when he ducked under a hit but had Radko Gudas fall over him.
One of a handful of NHL players who competed in the Olympics the last time they were permitted to compete in the Games in 2014, Crosby is doing everything he can to be available for Canada’s semifinal against Finland on Friday.
He underwent an MRI to assess the injury and did not participate in Thursday’s optional team skate, per ESPN.
“Sid is by no means ruled out of the tournament,” Cooper said Thursday. “We’ve got the best of the best looking at him. … We’re taking this day by day. And we’re not going to put anyone in harm’s way. But if he can play, he’s definitely going to. We’ll know more again in 24 hours.”
Crosby, who is competing in his third Olympics, is tied for third on the Canadian roster with six points (two goals, four assists) through four games.
Crosby is in his 21st NHL season, all with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 56 games this season, he has 59 points (27 goals, 32 assists).
Canada is looking to win gold for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mike LaFleur: No time frame for decision on Cardinals QB Kyler Murray
Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) leaves the field after defeating the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The assumption around Kyler Murray has been that the quarterback will not return to the Arizona Cardinals for an eighth season.
While that could still be the case, new Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur has given no indication of a timeline for when a decision will be made.
“Just like everything else on the roster, open conversations in this building,” LaFleur said in a Wednesday press conference. “No time frame on that.”
Murray, 28, appeared in just five games last season before going on injured reserve with a foot injury that wound up ending his season in early October.
He’s guaranteed $36.8 million for the 2026 season as part of the five-year, $230 million extension he signed with the Cardinals. But he also will have his base salary of $19.5 million for the 2027 season guaranteed if he’s still on the roster March 15, putting a deadline of sorts on when Arizona would need to trade or release him.
Murray, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has appeared in eight or fewer games two of the past three seasons. He’s started all 87 career games he has played for the Cardinals, throwing for 20,460 yards, 121 touchdowns and 60 interceptions while rushing for 3,193 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Veteran Jacoby Brissett stepped up in place of Murray last season, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 14 games (12 starts) last season.
Brissett, 33, is a likely starting candidate entering LaFleur’s first season in Arizona if the team doesn’t elect to use its third overall pick in the April draft on a quarterback.
The Cardinals finished 3-14 in the tough NFC West in 2025 and fired coach Jonathan Gannon on Jan. 5 after three seasons.
–Field Level Media
Sports
76ers sign 2-way F Jabari Walker to NBA deal
Feb 2, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Jabari Walker (33) shoots against Los Angeles Clippers guard Kobe Brown (24) and center Yanic Konan Niederhauser (14) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images The Philadelphia 76ers signed two-way forward Jabari Walker to a standard NBA contract on Thursday.
Walker, 23, was signed to a two-way deal last July after spending the last three seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.
He has appeared in 45 of Philadelphia’s 54 games this season. He’s made six starts and averages 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in 12.1 minutes per game.
In 233 career games (30 starts) across four NBA seasons, the former second-round pick has averaged 5.7 points and 4.2 rebounds over 15.5 minutes per game.
The 76ers also announced Thursday morning that they signed Tyrese Martin to a two-way contract.
Martin, 26, has appeared in 37 games (six starts) for the Brooklyn Nets this season, averaging 7.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
–Field Level Media
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